Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- One of the two companies approved by
soccer’s lawmakers to provide technology to settle disputed
goals says it wants to sign long contracts with leagues and
federations before new entrants join the market.

Germany’s Fraunhofer IIS’s Goal Ref unit and Sony Corp.’s
Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. were the only companies to pass the
International Football Association Board tests requiring
decisions to be transmitted to referees within a second.

“The length of the contracts depends on the leagues,”
Rene Dunkler, a marketing official for Fraunhofer, said in an
interview at the Leader’s in Football conference in London.
“But if you look at the media deals they’re typically three or
even five years.”

Hawk-Eye and Goal Ref will be unveiled at this year’s Club
World Cup in Japan. Both were tested at official games after
FIFA President Sepp Blatter reversed his opposition to the
introduction of technology following the 2010 World Cup. At that
event, officials failed to spot a shot by England’s Frank
Lampard had crossed the line in a knockout game against Germany.

“Leagues have been very interested because they know the
problem with goal-line decisions,” Dunkler said.
“Statistically there’s roughly one controversial line call per
month in Europe’s big five leagues.”

England’s Premier League put out a statement supporting the
decision of the sport’s rule-making board to approve the
technology. Michel Platini, president of European soccer’s
governing body, opposes the use of artificial aids.

“You will never convince me on technology and I will not
change at the age of 57,” Platini told reporters in Monte Carlo
on Aug. 31. “Technology assisting referee: I say, no. My idea
is to help referees by putting up more referees.”

Matches in UEFA competitions like this summer’s European
Championship and the top club competition, the Champions League,
have additional assistant referees stationed behind the goals.

Final Decision

Dunkler said technology is there to assist referees, not
replace them.

“Everybody drives a car but they also have navigation
systems and brake assistance to help them,” he said. “I agree
with Platini: Referees will have the final decision.”

Goal Ref uses a metal coil in a ball and a specially
designed goal with a magnetic field. Hawk-Eye, which provides
assistance to line calls in tennis and cricket, used a number of
video cameras to determine decisions. Both met soccer’s
requirements under tests carried out by the Swiss Federal
Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. Eighteen
companies started the first test phase two years ago.